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Lung surgery. View of a team of surgeons performing an operation on the lungs. They are carrying out an operation to remove part (lobectomy) or all (pneumonectomy) of a lung. Such surgery is drastic, and generally only a last resort. It is most often performed in the case of lung cancer, where the cancerous tissue, and all surrounding tissue, is removed or destroyed. Prior to the operation, the patient undergoes pulmonary function tests to ensure that the remaining lung will be able to take on the increased workload. A normal life can usually be led a few months after the operation.